Written by Lucas P. Jones
Stardate, November 3rd, 2015. An apparent communication from the entity known as CBS hints at a new Star Trek series, a transmission confirmed the following day via an additional press release. The new show will be aired in January 2017 on CBS.
Let me start off by saying that I began to tremble in my little space boots. As a huge Star Trek fan, especially of the television series, I was truly excited by the prospect of tuning in every week to catch another adventure. Since Enterprise was cancelled (just when it was coming into its own), there has been no regular Star Trek, save for the 2009 reboot, and the 2013 sequel I refuse to acknowledge even happened. But as I read further into the article, my excitement turned to worry. In January 2017, CBS will air the pilot of the new series on television, but “all subsequent episodes will then be streamed on its video-on-demand platform, CBS All Access, which charges $5.99 a month.”
Really CBS? You are going to put a TV show behind a paywall, despite the fact that you already own a basic cable channel, and The CW? Why not just show it on one of those? Is it because you aren’t making enough money? Are you afraid your pay per month service will bomb without locking one of the most iconic and successful franchises behind it? But let’s ignore that for a second. Because, to be fair, this type of all-access pass is great for people who are cutting the cord. So ill move towards the second aspect of this press release. The Executive Producer.
Alex Kurtzman will serve as Executive Producer for the show. The same Alex Kurtzman who co-wrote and produced the 2009 and 2013 Star Trek films. While those were excellent action films, they lacked what makes Star Trek “Star Trek”. While my objections to those films could fill and college thesis, it will suffice to say that I cannot imagine that the way Kurtzman approached those two films will translate well into a Star Trek on television.
Will I watch the pilot? Absolutely. Will I watch the show? Absolutely. I would never dismiss the return of Star Trek out of hand. In fact, I hope I’m proven dead wrong, and the show turns out to be a spectacular return to form for the franchise. But that’s the key here. Myself, and other hardcore fans don’t want a Star Wars film with a Star Trek skin on it, and we don’t want an Agents of Shield show with a Star Trek skin. Make it Star Trek, or don’t make it at all.
